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Machu Picchu is located on the western coast of South America in Peru.

Image Source: Google Maps

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Machu Picchu is located in the Andes mountains between Lake Titicaca and the Cusco valley. It was built on the top of a mountain, having very high elevation (Regas and Cañagueral 10). This map depicts elevations of a trail a tourist may hike when visiting Machu Picchu.

Image Source: 2024 trail elevation map on machupicchuexcursions

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There are many mysteries surrounding Machu Picchu due to the absence of written records and abandonment of the Incan civilization. Historians are unsure why it was built and what the purpose was, only having the ancient settlements to study. The historical site is thought to have a correlation to astronomy, agricultural production, and religion (Regas and Cañagueral 7-8).

Image Source: 2011 photo by Ko Hon Chiu Vincent on UNESCO

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In Macchu Picchu, there were two major areas, agricultural and urban. The mountainous terrain made it especially difficult for construction and cultivation of crops (Regas and Cañagueral 25).  The urban area contained sacred, religious structures. The Incans had strong religious beliefs and used large stones that can be found all around Machu Picchu (Regas and Cañagueral 14). The stone work involved in the creation of Machu Picchu, specifically in the temples, is very impressive (Regas and Cañagueral 25). The agricultural area had many terraces to grow crops (Regas and Cañagueral 12). They used terraces to grow maize and potatoes and used special irrigation methods. In addition to growing crops, they raised livestock (Blackwell).

Image Source: photo by Christian Kapteyn on Britannica Imagequest

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Machu Picchu was built in secret in the 15th century, during Pachacuti's reign. It was constructed in secret for either religious or political reasons, most likely to keep Incan treasures safe. During Pachacuti's rule, he used Machu Picchu as a place for rest. There were rituals for the dead, and Pachacuti's mummy would eventually rest in the Royal Tomb after his death (Regas and Cañagueral 28).

Image Source: 2022 portrait on Wikimedia Commons

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The circular structure located in Machu Picchu was called the Temple of the Sun and was used as an observatory. The Incas were greatly interested in stars and astrology. Machu Picchu held festivals for the winter solstice, which was especially important because of the importance of their crops (Regas and Cañagueral 34-35).

Image Source: 2013 photo by Unukorno on Wikimedia Commons

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Machu Picchu is being maintained by The Management Unit of the Historic Santuary of Machu Picchu. It was founded in 1999 and manages the property. However, as it becomes a more popular tourist destination, it is getting harder to maintain. Tourism has significantly increased in the past few years which helps the economy but also impacts Machu Picchu. Different aspects of this ancient city are being degraded and natural disaster concerns are prevalent. This management unit is constantly trying to restore degraded areas but also prevent this destruction ("Historic Sanctuary").

Image Source: 2017 photo on The Telegraph

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Machu Picchu is a popular tourist destination that I would love to visit whenever I travel to Peru. It demonstrates the complexity of the Incan civilization, and it has religious and historic significance!